news 31 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Five Arrested in Alleged Shs140M Iganga Public Land Fraud
Police in Iganga have apprehended five individuals, including local officials and a company director, in connection with an alleged fraudulent scheme to title and sell public land valued at approximately Shs140 million. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/five-held-over-alleged-shs140m-public-land-deal-in-iganga-5577670
Authorities in Iganga District have arrested five people in connection with an alleged plot to illegally obtain a land title for and sell public land. The land in question, measuring approximately 4.45 acres, is located at the Nakalama Sub-county headquarters.
The arrested individuals include Hamidu Kawanguzi, the LCIII chairperson of Nakalama Sub-county; Deo Mia Wakabi, a Senior Assistant County Chief and Principal Township Officer; and Sadat Aniswali, director of Dell-Wall International Uganda Ltd. Also detained are Ismail alias Mbudu, an Area Land Committee member, and Mohammed Swaga, the LC1 chairperson for Nakalama North Village.
The arrests were made following a directive from the Iganga Resident District Commissioner, issued on August 28, after a complaint was lodged by the Iganga District Land Officer, Tom Nkalanguke. According to Busoga East police spokesperson Michael Kasadha, preliminary investigations suggest a conspiracy between April 2025 and February 2026 to fraudulently secure a private land title for the public land.
Reports indicate that the suspects allegedly utilized a land claim by an individual named Testo Waiswa. This claim was reportedly used to involve private surveyors, who then allegedly manipulated Area Land Committee members into signing incomplete land forms. This process is said to have culminated in the issuance of a private title for the sub-county’s public land.
Further allegations state that this newly acquired title was subsequently sold to directors of Dell-Wall International Uganda Limited for a sum believed to be between Shs130 million and Shs140 million. Police confirmed that the title was reportedly handed over in May 2026, and subsequent verification by relevant authorities confirmed the land’s public status. The five suspects are currently in police custody at Iganga Central Police Station as investigations continue.